The present invention relates to a novel gel composition that results in the decrease in the amount of soot in a lubricating oil in an engine and/or decrease the amount of emissions particularly soot, hydrocarbons and/or nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2, N2O, collectively known as NOx) from an engine.
Soot may be present in any lubricating oil used in a lubrication system of any engine that generates soot such as internal combustion engines, spark ignited engines, stationary engines, off and on highway engines and the like. Internal combustion engines, in particular diesel fueled engines, generate carbonaceous soot particles. During combustion the fuel is injected into the combustion chamber in the form of small droplets. During the combustion process, soot particles form from incompletely combusted fuel. The lubricating oil for the cylinders and the rings contain the soot from the incomplete combustion. As the pistons move up and down in the chamber, the soot particles that have formed go into the lubricating oil system of the pistons, rings, through the cylinder and into the reservoir. Accordingly, the generated soot in the engine oil contributes to problems with engine lubrication.
Soot is also a problem in modem diesel engines with fuel injection systems. The fuel injection system has been designed to produce less emissions, but has increased the formation of soot in the lubricating oil of the engine. It further requires more frequent oil change intervals to prevent the concentration of soot particles in the oil from exceeding acceptable limits.
The suspended soot particles in the lubricating oil have the effect of increasing the viscosity and creating wear particles in the lubricating oil. Accordingly, the soot acts like an abrasive and induces wear in the engine parts. Further, high soot levels result in shorter drain intervals and more oil changes.
Dispersants have been used in lubricating oils to suspend the soot build up so as to reduce the detrimental effects of the soot on engine wear. However, an oils' capacity to protect an engine is limited, even with the dispersants. In addition, soot particles are small and are finely distributed in the lubricating oil so that filters generally are not satisfactory in removing the soot. During the course of a heavy duty diesel service interval (15,000 to 30,000 miles), 5 to 10 pounds of soot is typically produced. Filtration of the suspended or dispersed soot particles in the lubricating oil is complicated by their small size of generally less than 1 micron compared to typical automotive oil filters, which are sized to remove particles which are 20 to 40 microns or greater in diameter. This level of a soot loading can not be practically filtered with conventional filtration methods.
It is desirable to decrease the concentration of particles of soot in an engine oil using a novel gel composition. It is further desirable to decrease the emissions of soot, hydrocarbons and/or Nox from and engine using a novel gel composition.
It has been found that a gel in contact with lubricating oil of an engine can decrease the soot content in the oil as well as also reducing the emissions from an engine in particular soot, hydrocarbons and/or Nox. It has been further found that an oil based gel can reduce the particles of soot from the oil of an engine and/or from an engines emissions.